The Sparrowhawk Has Landed!

Today saw the opening of a new Sparrowhawk play structure at Rosliston Forestry Centre. 

The exciting new play area was commissioned by South Derbyshire District Council and was opened ahead of the schools' summer break. 

The Sparrowhawk is designed to encourage children to explore, where they can climb, slide, balance, and rest. The head of the Sparrowhawk offers a bird's eye view across the park where children can sit and look out. 

The official opening event was attended by local schoolchildren from Rosliston Primary School, Councillor Angela Archer, Chair of South Derbyshire District Council, local councillors, and the District Town Crier.  

Councillor Archer said: “We are delighted with the new play area and the children's reactions were wonderful. It is so lovely to see everyone enjoying the Sparrowhawk and having fun. We want families to visit and enjoy making memories here. It will be great to see children on the Sparrowhawk this weekend and over the summer holidays.” 

Chris Burley, Managing Director of Outdoor Play UK, the company who built and installed the play structure, added, “We are thrilled to see the Sparrowhawk open for children to enjoy. We have worked with the Council on the structure designs for a while and seeing our collaborative work come to fruition at Rosliston is a great feeling.”  

Thanks to a £80,000 capital investment, the new play area forms part of the Council’s ongoing improvements to Rosliston Forestry Centre along with a commitment to provide high-quality, accessible recreational spaces for families across the district.  

In the last year (2024/25), South Derbyshire District Council invested more than £280k in play area improvements, as part of a £1.3m five-year investment plan aimed at enhancing parks and recreational spaces. 

The new Sparrowhawk opening comes in a week that saw six of South Derbyshire’s parks and green spaces being awarded Green Flags, including Eureka Park and Maurice Lea Memorial Park.

18 July 2025